if you could stand

[[ another horizon/boundary ]]

if you could stand

on the surface of the sea

be a tinpot Jesus

on the surface of the sea

you would see  

for three point one miles 

in any direction

you would be 

the ruler of all 

the fish in the ocean

the line that separates earth from sky
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

the line that divides all visible directions

three point one miles  

in all directions at once

with a five foot seven

tinpot Jesus standing still

Imagined Geography 3: Oklahoma Song

Have you seen the sky 

open over the plain?

One minute, soft moonlight,

then thunder and rain.

Have you seen the sky 

come to swallow you whole?

I have seen a town vanish

soul by soul by soul.

Have you seen what God thinks
of an Oklahoma town?

I have heard God roar

and then swat one down.

Have you seen the sky 

open over the plain?

One minute of dying,

then clear sky again.

Imagined Geography 1: Montana Song

bounded by perfect

four solid walls

north south east west

one good window

bounded by perfect

one endless road

nowhere each way

but away, away

here in our place between

zero and one

love me from here 

to the end of that sun

here in our place between

before we die

love me from here

to the end of that sky

if you ever leave me

but you will never leave me

but if you ever leave me

I will be in every reflection

I will be the ghost in your night 

I will be in every direction

I will be, I will be, I will be

but you will never leave me

bounded by perfect

surveyor lines

fences and rails

the horizon

bounded by perfect

circular sun

hard solid earth
plain hard sky

buildings coming down

here, a slice of steel and glass 

a sky-high stack of offices

a mirror sixteen stories tall

to check your teeth for greenery

buildings coming down [[ pause... ]]

to the seashore

buildings coming down 

to the sea

look, a building knifed in two

a bathtub hanging in the air

this is how the joke plays out

when we are old, when we are grey

buildings tumbling down [[ pause... ]]

to the wrecker

buildings tumbling down

to the sea

the sigh and the shrug 

of a building facade 

melting suddenly 

into the sand

the crack and the roar 

of the air between us

turning suddenly

into a cloud

[[ it might be about aging, or urban renewal, or terrorism ]]

we sailed with the pilgrims

[[ a drinking song? no idea. it just came out this way. ]]

we sailed with the pilgrims

but not what you think 

for we were all pilgrims 

alone on the drink

we sailed with the pilgrims

but not how it sounds 

for we were all pilgrims 

lost in the rounds

looking for a home from the sea

looking for a sea that would carry us home

looking for daylight after the moonlight

looking for dark under the big starry dome

with the scouring sky hanging over

with the swallowing sea shore to shore

with the dread of the known close behind

with the dread of the unknown before

we sailed with the pilgrims

but none of us pure 

for we were all pilgrims 

in need of a cure

we sailed with the pilgrims

but none of us good 

for we were all pilgrims 

in need of a bed

intentional love song 16: everything runs down, everything runs away

[[ from a photo of Appalachia in the paper ]]

everything runs away

down this valley

everything runs away

the railway follows on one side

the highway holds to the other

the river flows in between them

down to the sea

everything runs down,

everything runs away

everything runs down, runs

down to the sea

there's even a mist on the river

who put that mist in the air?

as if someone drew it that way

knew I would need to go

knew I would need to stay

I could take a photograph of you

steal a photograph of you away

I could take a photograph of you

maybe give it back another day

I know there is nothing up above us

but a sky full of chance and blame

I know there is nothing up above us

but people like to give chance a name

Don't say you're going to turn it round

and make it like it was back then

Might as well pull all those trains back up the hill

and push that river back up the valley again

everything runs down,

everything runs away

everything runs down, runs

down to the sea

half-moon morning

I could hang my hat

on the corner 

of this sharp half-moon morning

I could sail away

in the belly

of this smooth half-moon boat

If 

you haven't 

looked at this 

morning as 

something you 

choose

don't follow your shoes

there's a sky up there

I could lay my head

on the pillow 

of this soft cloud floating

I could leave forever

on the mountain 

of this island cloud rolling

rolling away

If 

you haven't 

looked at this 

morning as 

something you 

choose

don't follow your shoes

there's a sky up there

VIII

[[let's do it as a song lyric]]

VIII

American fighter pilots 

from the battleship states

flex a muscle for America

flex a muscle for God

pack 'em in tightly 

side by each with Jesus 

flex a muscle for America

flex a muscle for God

pack 'em in tightly 

shoulder to shoulder 

wind 'em up tight

and let 'em go

they shoot off 

spouting voodoo 

looking for the moon

they shoot a hole 

through the pure blue

inject themselves into space 

up where no up is, 

no down (won't stay down), 

out where no air is, 

no sound (so no sound)

Merry Xmas

according to scripture

according to script

sextant and star chart

slip around behind 

the man in the moon 

flex a muscle for America

flex a muscle for God

aim this can of man meat 

at that blue ornament

flex a muscle for America

flex a muscle for God

not this fucking time of year again

[[ musically, a Christmas carol ]]

[[ this part in imitation of bells ]] 

not this 

fucking 

time of 

year a-

gain

[[ the sound of a church choir ]] 

all the skies are gray and lifeless (gray and lifeless)

all the winds are sharp and cold (sharp and cold)

all the roads are wet and icy (wet and icy)

all my bones 

two hundred six! 

the pops and clicks! 

the cracks and cricks! 

are so old

someone else's strange religion (strange religion)

someone else's hopes and fears (hopes and fears)

someone else's gongs and jangles (gongs and jangles)

someone's god 

three-headed -- weird!

one mainly beard!

all of them feared!

in my ears... [[ quiet, crescendo, and then the bang ]]

Bang! all the metal in your towers!

See if I fucking care 

Bang! all the metal in your towers!

Give all the birds a scare 

[[ a chorus imitating bells and singing in bell terms rather than Latin ]]

peal [[ repeated with combinations of the others ]]

nominal

quint

tierce

prime

hum [[ let this one be the last and lowest tone still ringing ]]

ring of stones

at the... 

end of the 

actual 

day

when the... 

moon pushes 

through the 

sky

we fold 

our bones

round a ring 

of stones

and talk 

across 

a fire

we talk 

across 

a fire

we wonder how - we will get through the snow

we wonder how - we will carry this load

we wonder how - we will build a new home

we wonder how - we will follow this road

oh, go on

we go on

we can do 

nothing else 

but go on

oh, go on

we go on

and we sing

while we walk

a walking song 

till the... 

end of the 

actual 

day

when the... 

moon pushes 

through the 

sky

we fold 

our bones

round a ring 

of stones

and talk 

across 

a fire

remember how - we would lie in the grass

remember how - we would play by the shore

remember how - we would watch the day pass

remember how - we wanted nothing more


[[ nomads, refugees, wanderers  ]]

invisible forces

it's only a song

only a song

this earth is a ball 

holding together 

with nothing at all 

holding together 

but invisible forces

mysterious forces 

only this breath can  

hold off the dark 

keep us from death

hold off the dark 

only this blue breath of sky...

with invisible forces

mysterious forces 

a current running 

through the earth 

beneath our feet

hey, little boy

you have dirt

between your toes

and every time you fart

I know the way

the wind blows

what could a pale man do?

what could a pale man 

do but pack up?

pack up his oil and his towel?

off to a bright beach 

where I will bare my

chest to the wind and the sun

rub down my body

rub myself down

rub myself down on a towel

do you admire my polarized spectacles?

how do you like how my spectacles shine?

say how you like my dark gleaming spectacles.

this is the loveliest 

state of Connecticut 

If I had a pipe 

I would take out my pipe

I would take out my pipe and smoke it

empty shoes

out of 

her shoes 

she floated 

over, over,

her soles

were bare

above our

open mouths

her pale

bare soles

under water

each impossible

as the last

cloud roll over 

one million ton

one hundred mile

an hour

press me

into grass

I am too weak

to stand


[[ grammatical irregularities are intentional. ]]

swallow the sea

forget the sky
you're on the side
of the ocean

pick up a shell
and hear the sighs [[ and "size" ]]
of the ocean

your lungs are full
of the surprise
of the ocean [[ gasping? or drowning? ]]

you're on the
far other side
of the ocean

you're on the
soft underside
of the ocean

from here the
sky is the size
of the ocean [[ here's the actual size, not sighs this time -- or maybe it is? ]]

[[ semi-silly semi-absurd series of stanzas that all mean something different but all end with "of the ocean". I think someone has drowned. ]]